Hayden

A prized singer-songwriter in his native Canada, Hayden Desser boasts a significantly smaller, but feverishly devoted, cult stateside. Fans on both sides of the border are drawn to his subtly stunning catalog. The latest addition, Us Alone, features nine mesmerizing songs inspired by the upheaval of new parenthood, and evokes the cracked dreaminess of mid-'70s Neil Young in its sound (in particular 1974's On the Beach). Like Young, Desser doesn't boast a conventionally appealing singing voice, but his quavering yowl is perfectly suited to his intimate lyrical portraits. He's the type of artist beloved by your favorite musicians — the National handpicked Hayden to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in 2012, and Young did the same for one of his Bridge School Benefits in the late '90s. With Lou Canon. 18+.
Sun., March 31, 7 p.m., 2013